Featured photographer Caroline Burghardt engages in conversation with Darryl Swarm, reference and special projects librarian, and Mike Pace, photography instructor, near her title photograph, “In the Garden, 2002.” Burghardt was honored at a reception in the Irene Carlson Gallery of Photography Sept. 11. Her exhibition, “Cape Twilight,” includes photographs taken of personal friends in the environments of their summer homes at Cape Cod. The exhibition will remain in the Carlson gallery until Oct. 10.

Victoria Farlow
Staff Writer

Caroline Burghardt’s exhibit “Cape Twilight,” which continues through Oct. 10 in the Irene Carlson Gallery in Miller Hall, features photographs from her summers spent in Cape Cod.

Burghardt photographed her friends and family, those she calls “intimates,” not only during a time of vacation but also during one of restraint. Her focus was on “capturing moments of self-awareness and of profound containment.”

To Burghardt, her summers on Cape Cod were a time when no one spoke of anything real. This is conveyed through the artist’s dream-like and colorful photos.

Burghardt took photographs of her friends and family as a metaphoric mirror, in order to realize that she was not only making a statement on these “intimates” but also on herself.

“I realized that I had to put myself in it because I am just as implicated in the society,” Burghardt said.

Through this series, she said she grew and learned from photographing her surroundings.

“All art is a learning process,” Burghardt said.

Burghardt’s “Cape Twilight” series provides stories with each photograph.

Amri Covarrubias, senior art major and president of the new organization Art and Art History Collective, felt a somber tone when looking at the photographs. One photo that stood out to Covarrubias was “Marguerite,” a shot of a woman sitting on a bed. “There’s sadness about this picture,” Covarrubias said.

Erik Almanza, vice president and secretary of the Art and Art History Collective, and member Michael Gutierrez agreed with Covarrubias.

Almanza and Gutierrez spent their time in the gallery imagining the photos’ stories. A photo of two women standing outside of a car, “Caroline and Mary,” painted a picture of an accident for Almanza.

“It looks like a scene from a movie,” Almanza said.

Gary Colby, department chair of photography, said he was haunted by Burghardt’s self-portrait, “In the Garden,” immediately after seeing it. He wished to see more and contacted Burghardt.

Through Colby’s efforts, ULV has been able to welcome Burghardt and her art. Colby said he believes art to be an essential part of an undergraduate liberal arts college experience.

“We define ourselves in our species because we draw,” Colby said.

Burghardt agreed with Colby. “Opportunities like these on college campuses make art not so abstract; they bring art closer to students,” she said.

Dion Johnson, director of the Irene Carlson Gallery, hopes for more integration of arts and culture in higher education.

Whether it is drawing, painting, film or photography, art surrounds students, and Johnson hopes that more students take advantage of ULV’s galleries.

The artist’s reception was held Sept. 11 at 6 p.m. in the Irene Carlson Gallery.

The event offered food, drinks and dialogue for students and faculty members who attended the opening.

Tuesday launched Kelly Sears’ “the stories behind the images that had almost been forgotten” in the Harris Art Gallery.

Jill Daves’ display, “Divots and Bumps” has been on ULV’s Tall Wall Space since February.